Assurance
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Michael's new work colleague makes Jackie feel a little insecure, fortunately Michael is a very thoughtful husband. Fluffy


**A/N: I was thinking about that episode where Jackie gets a bit insecure about having another woman D.S. on the team and I was thinking about how she would feel about potentially being upstaged in Michael's affections (heaven forbid :P). This is what I came up with. The woman is called "Jeri" because I wanted a name that _could_ be a man's name and I was thinking of the actress Jeri Ryan when I was picturing the character. The song is "I want you, I need you, I love you" by Elvis and I highly recommend you listen to it when you get to that part. It made me laugh to picture that scene when I was listening to it, hope it makes you laugh too! :D Hope you enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

_**Assurance**_

Insecurity was a new feeling for Jackie.

She'd always been secure in her abilities, confident that she would be able to do her job, confident in her ability to raise her children.

Confident in Michael's love.

But lately Michael had started to spend less time at home and more time at work. Something which had previously never given her any cause for alarm, the constant mention of Jeri, however, did.

At first she'd assumed that Jeri was just another member of Michael's, predominantly male, team. Until she'd attended an official function and met the statuesque and buxom blonde for herself.

The real Jeri couldn't be any further from the mental image of a competent Stuart-esque DC that Jackie had been carrying around in her head. Robbie's innocent comments about Jeri's many talents and his admiration for her physical attributes, coupled with Michael's apparent easy camaraderie with Jeri, did not help the gnawing insecurity that had taken root inside Jackie.

Not Jackie the confident detective that she had been for so many years, but Jackie the mother of five who suddenly began to wonder whether her husband was starting to have regrets. She knew he would never be unfaithful, she knew he still loved her enough not to do that to her, what concerned her was the thought that he may wish to.

The rational part of her mind told her that she was being silly and that his continued presence at work was due to the important case he was working on, _not_ a desire to spend more time with Jeri. But the less rational, more harried part of her mind whispered that that was not the case.

That the less rational side eventually won out was due to a particularly trying day with the children and Michael returning home late with yet more tales of Jeri's importance to the investigation. That Michael also praised the other members of his team in a similar fashion was lost on Jackie and she had broken down in tears.

Jackie's tears had surprised Michael, as it was so completely out of character, as well as being deeply distressing, and he had been completely dumbfounded.

Not to mention wounded when she had pushed him and his proffered comfort away and escaped up to the bedroom.

Jim Taggart had often lamented the younger man's seeming stupidity when it came to the fairer sex, but when it came to Jackie Michael had always been pretty switched on. It only took him a minute or two to work through the events leading up to the tears for him to piece together what must be running though Jackie's stressed and sleep deprived mind.

And when he did he was horrified.

Jackie, however, was mortified. She couldn't remember the last time she'd lost it so completely and was, quite frankly, embarrassed that she had lost her composure. Now Michael was sure to either find out or want to know what was wrong and she couldn't bear the thought of what he might say.

Michael entered the room quietly and found Jackie pretending to sleep, he decided to save her any further embarrassment and pretend that he believed her. Besides, he needed the time to work through some details of his plan.

...

The next day Jackie found herself at something of a loss.

Upon waking Michael had announced that he was taking the day off and would be taking complete care of the children. He had even insisted on making their lunches, doing the school run and minding Andrew for the whole day.

What worried her were the looks the children kept giving her with little secretive smiles, Michael was up to something. She could feel it.

Especially when he all but kicked her out of the house with instructions to enjoy spending some time by herself; the implication being that she was to stay out for the whole day.

Jackie did enjoy her time by herself, once she found something to do: she spent some time window shopping and went to a movie. But she still had a lingering guilt about leaving Michael with the children and she wondered whether he had offered to look after them because he thought she was overworked. Her guilt over the possibility that she had guilted* him into giving her a break eventually got the better of her and she returned home.

However, any hope of finding Michael to confess the real reason for her tears soon dissipated.

Nerys had pounced on her the moment she stepped in the door and dragged her upstairs to get changed into the midnight blue number she had bought for Michael's promotion celebration. Then Katrina had arrived at the door to 'drive' her down to the dining room where Jimmy was waiting wearing one of Michael's suits and pretending to be a waiter at a fancy restaurant.

Andrew had then been ushered in by Nerys, with a bouquet of roses (that was just a little bit too big for him to carry) from a 'secret admirer.' Ebony had then acted as a waitress and brought in her favourite dish.

All of which served to make her anxiety to confess to Michael grow, even though she was thoroughly enjoying the pampering.

The piece de résistance, however, had come after the children had said good night.

Jackie was just starting to wonder what the suppressed giggles had been about and when Michael was going to make an appearance when music started to play, followed by the unmistakeable voice of Elvis Presley belting out one of her favourite tunes:

_Hold me close, hold me tight  
Make me thrill with delight  
Let me know where I stand from the start  
I want you, I need you, I love you  
With all my heart_

Jackie felt her eyes fill with tears as she realised that Michael knew her better than she had given him credit for and that all this pampering had been leading up to this song.

Her tears gave way to laughter, however, as Michael appeared in the doorway holding a hairbrush (a move suggested by his daughters) and doing a horrendous Elvis impersonation, complete with lip synching.

_Ev'ry time that you're near  
All my cares disappear  
Darling, you're all that I'm living for  
I want you, I need you, I love you  
More and more _

_I thought I could live without romance  
Before you came to me  
But now I know that  
I will go on loving you eternally _

_Won't you please be my own?  
Never leave me alone  
'Cause I die ev'ry time we're apart  
I want you, I need you, I love you  
With all my heart_

By the time the music had finished he was down on one knee beside her seat, discarding the hairbrush, he took her hand.

"Jackie, I'm so very sorry if I have made you feel in anyway less than the most amazing, wonderful woman in my life. I love you very much," he added, leaning forward to kiss her.

Jackie suppressed a giggle as they broke apart, "Michael, you know I love you but...that Elvis impersonation really was bad," she told him.

He laughed, "Well, it was meant to make you laugh," he admitted, "besides, I reserve all my most embarrassing moments for you alone."

Jackie put her hand over her heart, "I'm honoured," she teased.

"I meant every word you know," he told her seriously, "I couldn't live without you and I can't imagine anyone else as the mother of my children."

This time Jackie did giggle, "You realise it's that kind of talk that made you the father of five," she warned him.

"Care to become the mother of six?" he asked.

Jackie burst out laughing, "What kind of a line is that?" she demanded.

"Well, I could extol all your virtues and tell you all the things that I love about you, but then we'd be here all evening," he teased her.

Jackie shook her head and gave a mock sigh, "The things I have to put up with," she said with mock regret.

"Let me make it up to you," Michael suggested with a gleam.

Jackie feigned thoughtfulness, "Hmm, I'd have to think about that." She gave a small shriek as he swept her up in his arms.

"Well, think quick," he told her as he started to carry her up the stairs.

"When you put it like that, how could I refuse?" Jackie asked.

Michael smiled, "How indeed?" he asked, before proceeding to assure her just how very much he loved her.

----

* Apparently this is not a real word, oh well...


End file.
